Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-09-03


consented, and called the Zulu, who came
bearing Sir Honrys ak, which be had now
fixed up 10 HIS satisfaction, with him. When
we showed him the steel shirt, and explained
TO him TINT we wanted him to wear It, he at
first declined, saying that he had fought In
bis own skin for thirty years, and that he was
not going TO begin now to fight In an iron
one. Thereupon | took heavy spear, and
spreading the shirt upon the floor, drove the
spear down upon II with all my strength, tho
weapon rebounding without leaving mark
upon the tempered steel This exhibition half
converted him; and when l pointed out TO
him how necessary 1t was that he should not
lot any old fashioned prejudices no might
possess stand in the way Of precaution
which might preserve valuable life at a
time when men were scarce, and also that II
he wore this shirt no might disp rA,with
shield, and so have both hands III .Wyielded
at once, and proceeded to invest his great
franc with tho airon skin" And indeed,
although made for Sir Henry, 1t fitted the
great Zulu like skin. The two men were
almost of a height; and though Curtis looked
the bigger man, am inclined to think that
the difference was more imaginary than real,
the fact being that although he was plumper
and rounder, he was not really bigger, except
in the arm Umslopogaas had, comparatively
speaking, thin arms, but they were as strong
as wire ropes. Atany rate, when they both
stood, ak in hand, invested In the brown
mail, which chung to their mighty forms like
q web garment, showing tho swell Of every
muscle and tho curve of every line, they
formed pair that any ten men might shrink
from meeting.
1t was now nearly o'clock in the morning
and the spies reported that, after having
drunk the blood of the oxen and eaten enor.
nous quantities Of meat the Nasal were go.
ing TO sleep round their watch fires, but that
sentries had been posted at each opening Of
the l1raal. Fossie, they aiaed, was sitting
not far from the wall In the center OF the
western side of the kraal and by her were the
nurse and tho white donkey, which was teth-
cred to a peg. Her feet were bound with
rope, and warriors were lying about all round
her.
As there was absolutely nothing furkN,
that could be done then we all took sonN
| supper and went to lie down for couple OF
hours. III
The bed wbereon lay was raaSi open
window that looked on to tho seranda,
through which came an extraordinary sound
Of groaning and weeping. For time could
not make out what it was, but at last got
up, and putting my head out Of the window
stared about. Presently saw dim figure
kneeling on the end of the veranda and beat
ing his breast-in which | recognized AL.
phonse. Not being allie TO understand his
French talk, or what on earth ha was at
called to him and asked him what he was
doing.
"Ah, monsieur he sighed, II do make
prayer for the souls of those whom / shall
STAY tonight
"Indeed," l said; "then I wish that you
would do it little more quietly"
Alphonse retreated, and heard no moro
Of his groans. And SO the time passed, till
of length Mr. Mackenzie called me in
whisper through the window, for Of course
everything had now to be done in the most
absolute silence. "Three O'clock" he said;
1--WE must begin to move Mt half past"
told him to come in, and presently he
entered, and am bound to say that IL 1t had
net been that Just then | had not got a laugh
aiywhere about me, should have exploded
at the sight he presented armed for battle.
10 begin with, he had on q clergyman's black
swallow tail and kind Of broad trimmed
black felt hat, both of which he had donned
on account, he said, of their dark color. mi
bis hand was the Winchester repeating rifles
we had lent him. and stuck in an elastic
cricketing belt, like those worn by English
boys, were first, huge buckhorn handled
carving knife with guard to 1t, and next a
long barreled Colts revolver.
"Ah, my friend he said, seeing me staring
at his belt, "you are looking at my carver
thought It might come in handy IL we came
to close quarters; it Is excellent steel, and
many is the pig have killed with it."
BY this time everybody was up and dress
Ing. Iput on light Norfolk jacket over
my mail shirt, in order to have a pocket
handy to hold my cartridges, and buckled on
my revolver. Good did the same; but Sir
Henry put on nothing except his mail shirt,
steel lined cap and pair Of 3yeldtschoons"
OF .oft hide shoes, his legs being bare from
the knees down. His revolver he strapped
on round his middle outside the armored
shirt.
Meanwhile Umslopogaas was mastering
the men in the square under the big tree, and
going the rounds to see that each was
properly armed, etc. At the last moment we
made one change Finding that two OF the
men who wero to have gone with the firing
parties knew little or nothing Of guns, but
wero good spearsmen, we took away their
rifles, supplied them with shields and long
spears of tho Nasal pattern, and told them
Off to join Curtis, Un,slopogaas and the
Askari in holding the wide opening 1t hnv-
ing become clear to us that three men, how
ever brave and strong, were too few for the
work.
CIR rorpD xyIr